Memeorandum

October 02, 2008

The Nearly Smoking Letters

Steve Diamond continues to plug away at the Obama cover-up swirling around Obama's association with Bill Ayers and the Chicago Annenberg Challenge.

One issue is this - how did Barack Obama, a young lawyer with no background in education, become chairman of the highly visible (and highly funded) Chicago Annenberg Challenge? Even the Times coveragenoted raised eyebrows:

Several board members, including two university presidents, far outranked Mr. Obama in education experience.

“Let me say the room had no shortage of egos, including my own,” said
Stanley O. Ikenberry, a board member who at the time was president of
the University of Illinois.
“It was unusual: here you had a person trained in the law chairing a
board on school reform.” Still, he said, Mr. Obama won his colleagues’
respect.

The obvious answer, suggested by Steve Diamond (and seconded by yours truly), is that Bill Ayers, who had led the founding of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge, lobbied on Barack's behalf. And why would Bill Ayers do that? There was an earlier effort at school reform in Chicago in 1988; one major player was the ABCs Coalition coordinated by Bill Ayers. One member of the coalition was Barack Obama's Developing Communities Project, so it is entirely possible that these two met in 1988 and were simply resuming their collaboration in 1995.

Ayers had nothing to do with Obama’s recruitment to the Board. Barack
Obama was encouraged to run for Chair by Deborah Leff, with whom he
served on another board, recommended by Pat Graham, and elected by the
bipartisan founding board members: Susan Crown, Pat Graham, Stanley
Ikenberry, Ray Romero, Arnold Weber, and Wanda White.

But Steve Diamond has unearthed correspondence prior to the formation of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge documenting some key points:

2. Unsurprisingly, the question of how the Chicago Annenberg Challenge would be governed was raised prior to the grant being approved. Bill Ayers was involved in resolving that.

3. The governing structure, including the board of roughly eight Chicagoans, was discussed with Bill Ayers.

The Obama campaign would like people to believe that, although Bill Ayers was involved at every important step, no one asked for this thoughts on the selection of a chairman. Uh huh.

Steve Diamond points out another oddity of the Obama camp's current explanation - Deborah Leff claims to have encouraged Obama to run for the chairmanship. In that vision Ms. Leff would have met Barack in Nov 1994 on the board of the Joyce Foundation, then pushed him towards the Chicago Annenberg Challenge chairmanship four months later. That gives short shrift to the fact that the Joyce Foundation, and especially Ms. Leff, had a longstanding and ongoing relationship with Bill Ayers, whom Ms. Leff considered to be in charge of developing the Chicago Annenberg Challenge. In filling the chairmanship did she really execute an end-run around Ayers in order to promote a guy she scarcely knew? Is that the Chicago Way?

No journalist will pick this up, of course, so the Obama cover-up will continue for a while. Eventually the history will out. But before it does, think how many people can request favors of their old friend Barack, and think how many people Barack needs to stay friendly with, lest their inconvenient memories embarrass him.

Comments

I dunno, TM, while the whole rest of the whole stinking pile of CAC turd smells to high heaven, I'm not so sure about the chairman question. I can't tell you how many people I know (like me!) who've ended up in charge of things simply because they screwed up and didn't duck at the right moment.

(Speaking of which, come March I'll have a living room piled to the ceiling with girl scout cookies...)

I don't see what's new in this report. I think Ayers wanted to run this but wanted to keep a lower profile re Annenberg so he picked Obama for whom this would have seemed a political stepping stone while Ayers headed the operating arm--ie., the actual show.

One issue is this - how did Barack Obama, a young lawyer with no background in education, become chairman of the highly visible (and highly funded) Chicago Annenberg Challenge?

In my estimation, the most likely reason is that Senator Obama was being groomed because his ethnicity makes him the compelling capstone candidate for the left's balkanization strategy.

The second most likely explanation is that Senator Obama is crooked as a three-dollar bill, and he gravitated toward education for the same reason that Willie Sutton robbed banks: Because that's where the money is. Only Senator Obama is much more clever than Sutton because banks, unlike education, usually task somebody with minding the store.

The first is if Gwen Ifill asks, "What can be done to improve the quality of education in the country."

[She won't.] If she doesn't ask, she's in the tank.

If she does ask, the second drinking opportunity is when Sarah answers, "Well, we're sure not going to do what Obama, Ayers, and the rest of his special friends did with the Chicago Annenberg Challenge Obama chaired when millions were siphoned off to what was reported as absolutely no improvement in the quality of education. That kind of undercover scheme is his style and the press needs to report on it."

I don't see what's new in this report. I think Ayers wanted to run this but wanted to keep a lower profile re Annenberg so he picked Obama for whom this would have seemed a political stepping stone while Ayers headed the operating arm--ie., the actual show.

Well, I am not surprised and you are not surprised but if the Obama campaign could be busted in yet another lie about this Ayers thing... hmm, who does care?

Good one, cathyf, about his being the only one without a real day job! My VRWC blinders shielded the obvious from me. I am somewhat ashamed since I long ago learned never to attribute to design anything that lies along the path of least resistance.

Thanks to everyone else for reminding me that I need to hit the ABC before the debate starts. My cupboard is nearly bare (and my head slightly throbbing) since I wanted to put a bunch of bottles out with this week's recycling. Knucklehead that I am, I forgot until my wife reminded me that it goes out on Friday mornings now. My liver is a little vexed with her for not mentioning it earlier in the evening.

Clearly Ayers was tight with Obama, I mean look at all the money he donated to his campaigns. Umm what, $200?

Ok well certainly it'll be bad that Obama associated with a former felon. Wait, Ayers was never prosecuted or served time for anything?

No doubt Obama's spent a lot of time with Ayers, traveled with him, given him lots of access. Huh, just being in the same room and being at the same board meeting?

Ok, but beyond anything Obama had to have had some involvement in all this guys horrible actions. Uhh, so Obama was only 8 years old at the time all that was going on?

Hmmn, so these ties still have to be way stronger than McCain's to Charles Keating right? Let's see,

donations: Ayers to Obama $200, Keating to McCain $112,000

convictions and jail time: Ayers 0, Keating 73 counts of wire and bankruptcy fraud and over four years in Federal prision

association: Ayers and Obama brief contact in professional, public setting, McCain 9 trips at Keating's expense, 3 to Keating's Bahamas retreat, oh and Keating let McCain's wife and father in law in on a strip mall investment for $359,000 then they sold it for $15,000,000.

I don't know if I kept up with this issue as perhaps I didn't read all the links. Was Obama a board member when he became chairman of the board? If so, how long was he a board member for? What was he doing directly before became a board member?

December 1, 1994, Ayers and Anne Hallett (who co-chaired the CSRC with Ayers) wrote to Gregorian.

We have given careful thought to the issues raised in your letter. We are working with Adele Simmons, Deborah Leff, and Pat Graham on issues of management and governance to ensure that Chicago's Annenberg Challenge initiative is successful.

Did you know that convicted felon Tony Rezko bought the lot adjacent to poverty pimp Obama's mansion in Chicago as payback for Obama's help in stacking the corrupt boards which Gov. Blagojevich appointed? And that Obama's wife got a $200,000 raise on the basis of an earmark that the thief Obama stuck in a bill?

Have you heard the tape of Obama's pastor and spritual mentor, The Right Racist Reverend Wright's God Damn America Sermon? Did you know that Obama's 20 year association with that racist church allowed him to steer millions in Federal grants to supporting its race based programs?

Barack Obama's friends and associates are terrorists, racists and felons. You can look it up.

This from the NYT article:
"and the city added $98 million in matching funds for the Chicago Annenberg Challenge, a philanthropic campaign that financed enrichment projects "

As Ayers "wrote the proposal" for the Challenge", ie started it, where did Ayers get the 98 milion dollars from?

"Mr. Obama was nominated to the Challenge board and was elected chairman in 1995"

Now see that in the NYT gives short shrift to the issue of how long Obama was on the board before he got nominated. Acording to TM excerpt "Ms. Leff would have met Barack in Nov 1994 on the board of the Joyce Foundation, then pushed him towards the Chicago Annenberg Challenge chairmanship four months later".

So it seems that Obama went straight to chairman and bypassed the board?

It seems to me Obama was handpicked by associated of Ayers. Probably they looked around and were impressed by his racial makeup and that he was a good speaker etc, and propped him up.

Now the real smoking gun - did Ayers get any of the 98 million from any dubious soures? For instance Chavez - and Chavez's love of education causes for the poor. (Was Chavez in power back then? I must look it up to be sure...)

"The Annenberg Foundation today announced a five-year grant totaling $49.2 million to support Chicago school reform...The grant, part of the half-billion-dollar Annenberg Challenge.. will be matched two-to-one by $100 million in local private and public dollars.

Adele Simmons, president of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, expressed confidence that the city's philanthropic community would meet the challenge of providing $50 million in matching funds over the next five years.... Foundation support for Chicago reform has increased dramatically since 1985 and currently exceeds $10 million per year."

Hmmm. Interesting. So 50 mill from Annenburg, 50 million from private sources, where did the other 50 mill come from... city revenue? And by the way, who gave the 10 mil a year? Just as an fyi, I'd gamble that Oprah gave some for one.

Also this:

"The Chicago Annenberg proposal was developed through discussions among a broad-based coalition of local school council members, teachers, principals, school reform groups, union representatives and central office staff, convened by Anne Hallett of the Cross City Campaign for Urban School Reform, William Ayers of the University of Illinois at Chicago, and Warren Chapman of the Joyce Foundation."

So Warren Chapman of the Joyce Foundation helped start it, apparently Obama was a board member of the Joyce Foundation beforehand, where he was encouraged by Ms. Leff to go to the Annenburg. Just trying to get the history down here.

the problem seems to be that no cares...the trends are in the Democrats favor, and the negative press on Palin continues. Today, there were articles in both the LA Times and Washington Post about how Palin's popularity is fading.

I e mailed the authors of both articles and suggested that perhaps the relentless negative coverage had something to do with it. No replies, nor do I expect one.

We really mustn't forget Uncle Tony. No one has claimed that the terrorist Ayers was a convicted felon. That's just pixie dust. Tony Rezko (who rented Obama on an as needed basis) really is a convicted felon. Like Kwame Kilpatrick is today and William Jefferson will be after his trial. With just a little luck Charlie Rangel could join the group soon as could Conyer's wife in Detroit.

It doesn't appear that Jeremiah Wright has been accused of anything illegal yet, so he's just a racist rather than a terrorist or felon.

Thanks Bad, read it over. So apparently Annenburg gave a certain amount to the Chicago Public Education Fund, in which the grants were terminated in 1999 and then the grants given to the Annenburg Foundation instead? And that's where the public money came from? Not sure how that worked actually.

Saw the list of donors, seemed like of lot of money for corporations to give to one foundation, seems a little shady to me somehow, but maybe that's how it's done in charity land.

One thing that sticks out to me now is what is the Joyce Foundation? I see that is where Obama got his start, and one of the biggest donators to the Annenburg. Just something to look up later I guess.

Y'know, the part of Barry's background that is hard to figure is his development from a basketball jones type at Punahou, to an undistinguished inactive student at Occidental (until he discovered SA divestment) to a political science type at Columbia graduating without honors, to all of a sudden being a standout legal scholar at Harvard. One of the things that happened in the Columbia-to-pre-Harvard interlude is that he lived very close to Ayers, and then happened to move to his home town for his community organizing, and worked on some convergent projects.

Listening to him speak, I have a hard time with BHO as a legal mastermind (because he sounds a bit dim, though very smoooth), and I wonder whether it's possible to get some assistance on all that reading and writing at HLS. And though I'd also think it's an awfully deep game for the Ayers types in the world to begin grooming a kid in college for a presidential run, but . . . as a Manchurian Candidate conspiracy theory, it has a certain charm.

We probably ought to start a disinformation campaign claiming it's all gospel . . . heck, might even turn out to be right. There's as much to go on as most of the various Palin rumors, and the MSM is running with those daily.

The problem, as I see it, is that Obama's interaction with ACORN, the Woods Fund Chicago, and the CAC requires the public's attention beyond one or two easy sound bites. These relationships cannot be explained in, "Mr. Vice President, you've got ninety seconds."

The Obama campaign excels in pithy responses to complicated negative stories. All the muddled middle will remember is the (Obama was only eight years old, etc.) dismissive rejoinder, little comprehending the seriousness of the charge. Unfortunately.

"Y'know, the part of Barry's background that is hard to figure is his development from a basketball jones type at Punahou, to an undistinguished inactive student at Occidental (until he discovered SA divestment) to a political science type at Columbia graduating without honors, to all of a sudden being a standout legal scholar at Harvard."

Because this is a different Obama?
Ideal subject, orphan,no proper birth certificate,no paper trail,no close friends with anecdotes.Now how many politicians can you think of who don't ram their entire lives down your throats.A couple of premature biographies which seem to be the script of Obama's life.
I said quite a while ago,"The Man Who Never Was".

Because this is a different Obama? Ideal subject, orphan,no proper birth certificate,no paper trail,no close friends with anecdotes.

Bred in a Democratic bioweapons lab from classified genetic material extracted from MLK Jr, Jack Kennedy, FDR and Abraham Lincoln, he was unleashed upon the world to lay waste to the hegemonic Vast Right Wing Conspiracy using only the sword of Truth, Justice, and the American Way!!!

I agree completely. It's like those rumors that Barack Hussein Obama may well be a muslim just because he is noted for his ability and proficiency in reciting the muslim call to prayer in perfect Arabic. I would never make such a claim, even if it were proven that his father and stepfather were both muslims.

Come on-Obama met Ayers when they lived in close proximity in Morningside Heights, NYC in the mid-1980's. Which would really be a problem, because Ayers' wife and a few other WUO terrorist dead-enders got arrested and convicted for bomb making, weapons, armed robbery, and murder in the mid-1980's as well. Sort of shoots his "I was 8 when they were terrorists" excuse doesn't it.

What about his little trip to Pakistan-in the early 1980's? Someone sponsored that little junket for a young up-and-comer. Pakistan was dangerous in 1981, especially for a young American, even if he'd been "seasoned" a bit in LA.

Peter, the more I see the more I realize he's the Manchurian Candidate..the Telegraph published the British Ambassador's assessment of Obama, and I got these takeaways:

. He's aloof
. he's decidedly liberal
. He will have less of a track record than any other president
. he's been running for president since his early 20's
. he agrees with the UK Gov't about pulling out of Iraq, but they are worried about his stance re Iran
. His politics and policies are still evolving

When Castro came to power in 1959, some of the same things were said about him. We found out very quickly where his heart was....

John Jacobs is a white male who was born on September 30, 1947, at New York, New York. One of the leaders of the Columbia University SDS chapter during the riots in 1968, Jacobs went on to become one of the leaders of the WUO in 1969. Jacobs was one of the authors of the "Weatherman Statement" upon which the WUO was founded, was arrested during the WUO "Days of Rage" riots in Chicago during October, 1969, and attended the WUO "Flint Michigan War Council" He submerged into the underground in 1969 and remains therein.

Jacobs would have been an icon to young budding communists at Columbia Univerity and maybe Piqued Obama's curiousity when he attended that university later. Didn't he return to Hawaai for a few years where he met "Frank" his mentor before enrolling at Harvard?

Chavez as elected in 1998; took power in 1999; 2000 was the year of the famous Katrina like flood, that occurred while he
was having a colloquoy with Fidel on Margarita Island. According to a little cited Frank Foer profile in the Atlantic; Chavez admits to have been with the Red Flag Marxist guerillas from 1984 till
coup attempt. the Ayer's revolutionary past
probably appealed to him; like his leftwing
friends he knew at Colombia. Fidel was running as a candidate of the Maverick Ortodoxo candidate Eddy Chibas; until the latter killed himself and the Batista coup of 52. Ayers, Klonsky & co; were the recipients of the CAC's largesse through
Ayers. Payback for the support given previously.

"And though I'd also think it's an awfully deep game for the Ayers types in the world to begin grooming a kid in college for a presidential run, but . . . as a Manchurian Candidate conspiracy theory, it has a certain charm."

I do not want to feed the troll, truly, but I do wish he/she could address the issue of the thread with a little more honesty and intelligence.

Which I did at the top, noting that when people are worried about their jobs and retirement savings the Ayers story will have a hard time finding any resonance with the public.

You guys have been pumping this story for months on end, and like a dog with a chew toy, you just can't let it go. Probably because even though it's a long shot in terms of actually turning the election, your available options are dwindling quickly in the face of an advancing calendar.

"Warren Chapman was a well established philanthropic professional with a varied background anchored by more than 20 years in positions focusing on technical assistance to and grant-making in education. His career encompasses nine years with the Joyce Foundation, six years with Illinois State Board of Education, and six years with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the Department of Educational Policy Studies. Mr. Chapman began his career in the Illinois Department of Corrections directing programs for youthful offenders.

Mr. Chapman earned a doctorate degree in educational policy studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a concentration in the politics of education, educational policy, and social foundations of education. He holds a master of arts degree in urban studies and a bachelor of arts degree in studio art with a concentration in sculpture."

Co-founder of the Annenberg with Ayers, Chair of the Joyce Foundation where Obama got his start right before Annenberg. Also an African American guy by the way, and he also seemed to have a fast career trajectory. Wonder if he went to Wright's church as well.

He's not a Manchurian candidate. He's not a leftist, except in a shallow way of "Be on the left? Sure, why not." He is a narcissist who does whatever is going at the moment to get ahead. He just wants to have a career as Mr. Big Shot. He's exactly like Bill Clinton, only skinny, chaste and with 30 fewer IQ points.

Yeah it doesn't seem that much of a mystery anymore. Chapman and Ayers met in the Chicago scene somehow. Maybe Ayers got Chapman into the Joyce Foundation or vv. They started the Annenberg together. Obama got into the Joyce Foundation through some African American connection, ie Wright's church. And then Chapman liked Obama because of the minority connection, and they promoted him to the top of Annenberg.

"Ayers story will have a hard time finding any resonance with the public."

Actually it will have plenty of resonance with the public, the problem is it has no resonance with the MSM. But like Rathergate, sometimes a small break can lead to a big result, so just let us keep on plugging, in the meantime you can watch rehashed Obama speeches on his TV channel.

Well there def seems a radical Chicago scene, inheriting the Ayers radicalism, probably merging with the radical civil rights movements, now cleaned up and sponsored by Chicago lib old money.

Ie Warren Chapman, born in 1968, for a guy who started out working as a juvenile officer, also seems to have had a stellar career rise, much like Obama. There seems to be a network there, funneling young radicals, especially African Americans with decent degrees, up to the top. Probably the churches were involved, also the Universities.

"Mr. Chapman earned a doctorate degree in educational policy studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a concentration in the politics of education, educational policy, and social foundations of education. He holds a master of arts degree in urban studies and a bachelor of arts degree in studio art with a concentration in sculpture."

Yes,but what are his qualifications? Looks like the bloke never had a job.

Anyone remotely interested in this story knows where they can go to get their fill. People just don't care about "Nearly Smoking Letters" when in the real world they're afraid that their savings may be going up in flames.

One does not go from a non-honors Columbia poli sic to a star at HLS if there's any honest evaluation.:

Percy Sutton, no relation to Willie, was introduced to Obama by Dr. Kalid al-Mansour. Mansour, aka. Don Warden, a principal advisor to one of the world's richest men. "He told me about Obama."

"And his introduction was there is a young man that has applied to Harvard. I know that you have a few friends up there because you used to go up there to speak. Would you please write a letter in support of him?"

"Prior to joining the University, Dr. Chapman served as the vice president for corporate philanthropy at JPMorgan Chase. He oversaw all corporate giving including corporate contributions made to not-for-profit organizations and administered the daily operations of the Bank One Foundation."

In a real world, TGO, the public would be usefully informed by our free press about the real villains of the housing mess, the Democrats. In the made up fantasy world of the MSM a pig is being sold in a poke.
=======================

"in the real world they're afraid that their savings may be going up in flames."

That's this weeks excuse, what was last week's? Obamabots always have a good reason for why this guy should not be exposed, and it's always because "there are more important things". Yes, a convicted felon helped him buy his house, but we are losing in Iraq. Yes, he sat in a pew while Wright railed anti-American doctrine for 20 years, but we are losing in Iraq ...uhhhh, we are winning in Iraq??? well, Sarah Palin killed a cuddly moose. Yes, his career was launched and funded by a terrorist bomber, but wait, there's a financial crisis. No record, no accomplishments, no experience???? A hurricane is forming in the Atlantic!!!

Tribe has said that looking up case law and mundane stuff like that was well beneath Obama's stature. That kind of stuff was for the grunts. Tribe saw in Obama a kindred spirit, one who understood and agreed with his vision. I'm sure tests and grades were beneath Obama too. It would have been insulting to test such a god.

To my knowledge, he has not released his LSAT score, Columbia, or Harvard transcripts.

We have not seen transcripts, but we know that he graduated with honors from law school. (That's a classic publicly available fact -- call up a college or university registrar, say that you are verifying a resume, and give a name and a graduation year. They will tell you degrees received and any honors.)

I'm not willing to say that there is any huge significance to Obama graduating from law school with significantly more academic prestige than any of his other academic endeavors. I mean it wouldn't be the first time that a bright slacker coasted through undistinguished, only to connect and shine at some point.

The folks at Volokh have collected various assignments, test questions, etc. from former UC law students of Obama. As professional legal educators, they claim that Obama is a quite talented and articulate writer. (Just like Joe Biden said :-)

There is no reason to claim that Obama is less talented than he is -- he's quite lacking enough in all of the things he is lacking in...

We don't even know if he has a US birth certificate, and he has a CAIR related lawyer working to have the case tossed out rather than producing a birth certificate.

" The real issue is why is a candidate for President of the United States, a guy who wants to take over the role of Commander-in-Chief in the war on terror, using the Lawyer for CAIR a group with terrorist connections, to represent him in a law suit? Once again the Junior Senator from Illinois leave us with questions and no answers."

Not only is he a lawyer for CAIR, he is also a DNC lawyer. Why would CAIR and the DNC, and Obama all be so eager to make sure the American people do not get a chance to know who the Democrat candidate really is?

"The DNC connection

What Yid with Lid did not mention in this article is that Sandler is general counsel for the Democratic National Committee."

So in conclusion to these thoughts, it seems like Ayers was clever enough to keep his associations with his handpicked proteges indirect, and worked through surrogates associated with his foundations to propel them forward. So it will be hard to find a smoking gun. A little bit like my theory on all the Obama donations over the internet from "college students"- even if they aren't all on the level, Obama has plausible deniability on it.

One angle to look at in this, is the hijacking of these supposed charities, with their supply of milions and billions of tax free dollars from disengaged old money people who really just want a tax shelter and some vgue idea they are doing good, to promote a radical view by a few individuals controlling the purse strings of the charities. I wonder how often this is happening in this country. You know it kind of reminds me of how Hamas and the Saudis operate their fundamentalism covered up by charities. I wonder if Ayers got the idea from there.